Cleaning and cleaning

Auto Motor Klassiek » Engines » Cleaning and cleaning
Purchasing classics there

Reconditioning and cleaning - hobby or necessity? Cleaning and brushing is vital for professionals. With car rental companies it is unthinkable to give a customer an unpolished and vacuumed car. And for the trade, a cleaned and vacuumed car simply yields more. This also applies in the classic trade.

People buy with their eyes

Therefore, it is understandable that professional brushing has developed into a lucrative industry. And the trick in that field is that a reconditioned car should not look 'polished and buffed'. Rubbers with a greasy silicone shine and the smell of cheap toilet freshener in the interior are deadly to the good impression the car has to make.

Clean = Perfect. However?

A well-groomed classic, car or motorcycle, should simply be showroom clean. And when you see him standing there, it doesn't even occur to you that he has been 'polished'. Companies such as Sonax and Meguiar's offer their customers, including professionals, cleaning seminars.

But even if it is not for sale, cleaning may be done.

So just clean

If we are cleaning ourselves, then be conservative. A British collector friend spoke about his classic motorcycle collection: “They are like dogs. You should not wash them to often. It confuses the bastards ”. What counts in any case is that cleaning with a high-pressure cleaner is definitely out of the question for classic motorcycles.

But we also prefer not to expose our classic four-wheelers to that wet violence. The water from a high-pressure cleaner also ends up in places where you don't want it at all. Really: A garden hose and the good cleaning products work much better.

Dead bugs

Every motorcyclist knows them: the suicidal insects. They are often very tenacious on headlights and fairings (and helmets). There are expensive aerosol cans and other remedies to remove them. A sustainable alternative? Drape a piece of wet kitchen roll over the battlefield and let it sit for an hour, that will soak them loose and you can simply wipe them off. You do this wiping again with plenty of water and a sponge, around which you have pulled pantyhose. It helps if the paint and the headlight puddle are waxed.

Oiliness

Dasty and brake cleaner are inexpensive and highly effective degreasers. Do not buy the brake cleaner at your favorite shop, but at an outlet such as the Action. Dasty is the unparalleled panacea and the only reason why you ever see a man at the Zeeman chain. Dasty can do little harm, but brake cleaner is quite aggressive stuff. Benzene is also an option. But especially with high temperatures, it is less of an idea for us to work with flammable products.

We will come back to polishing the chrome.

Furthermore, a toothbrush for the difficult spots and a lot of patience and rinsing water are needed. Good luck!

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